Friday 28 November 2008 05.14 EST
First published on Friday 28 November 2008 05.14 EST

Somali pirates hijacked a chemical tanker with two British security guards and dozens of Indian crew members on board this morning, diplomatic sources said.

The ship was flying under a Liberian flag, said the diplomats, who asked not to be named, as they are not authorised to speak to the media.

On board are 25 Indians, two Bangladeshis and two British security guards.

The hijack comes after a string of pirate attacks off the Somali coast in recent months.

Somalia's lawlessness has allowed its shoreline to become a haven for pirates. The country has been caught up in an Islamic insurgency and has had no functioning government since 1991.

There have been 96 pirate attacks and 39 ships hijacked in Somali waters this year including a Saudi supertanker earlier this month loaded with $100m (£65m) worth of crude oil.

The latest hijack means that 16 ships and more than 300 seafarers are in the hands of Somali pirates, who dock the hijacked vessels near the eastern and southern coasts as they negotiate for their ransom.

Warships from Denmark, India, Malaysia, Russia, the US and Nato patrol the international maritime corridor off Somalia, escorting some merchant ships and responding to distress calls.